When in Another World
by Pain e Panic
Summary: No. Optimus correct himself, I'm as tall as him. I shrank... As he thought so, he looked down to himself. He didn't simply shrank, oh no... He was human! (Warning, it'll contain off-scene violence and rape later on)
1. Chapter 1

_Notes:_

 _I apologize since now, as I'm not able to update regularly. But I promise that I'll finish this story, given enough time.  
And, as usual for me, it'll be about Bee more than the others...  
Hope you'll enjoy it, please feel to comment, especially to point out the errors as its not betad and I'm not mother tongue. None of the characters are mine._

* * *

Optimus woke up in a strange room.

Something was definitely off with it, but he couldn't pin point what.

"Optimus, do you receive me?" That was Ratchet through the comm link.

"Ratchet?"

"Oh, thanks Primus" the Doctor breathed out "we lost any contact with you since two weeks ago"

Two weeks? Think back, Prime, what happened?

Last thing he could recall was their instruments finding a new relic.

They went out, Optimus, Smokescreen, Bulkhead and Bumblebee, to retrieve it, he managed to remember.

But they couldn't find it.

He recalled have been walking through the ground bridge, as he have been commenting with Ratchet, through comm link, that they should had checked that instruments again.

He remembered the light in the bridge, way brighter than usual, and then nothing.

"Where am I?" He asked mainly to himself. But his internal geolocation system didn't answer.

"We believe that the ground bridge was deviated and you were transferred to an unknown location"

The doctor explained curtly.

"Ratchet, did the other come back?"

Optimus' spark sank as his old friend hesitated to answer.

And when Ratchet answered, his professional tone tainted by concern confirmed Optimus' fears.

"Smokescreen is here... But... We haven't been able to contact Bumblebee nor Bulkhead so far..."

"Oh Primus..."

But before Optimus could add anything else, the door opened, and an human stepped inside.

That was when Optimus finally figured what was wrong with the room: the furniture, the bed, the curtain, the chair, they where humans, and in human size, and yet he was able to lie on the bed, and the newcomer, he looked as tall as Optimus.

No. Optimus correct himself, I'm as tall as him. I shrank...

As he thought so, he looked down to himself. What he saw, oh Primus, he wasn't ready for what he saw.

He didn't simply shrank, oh no... He was human!

From the surprised noises through the commlink, the others were saying the same on the screen in the HQ.

"How are you feeling today" was the kind question from the man standing next to his bed.

And now Optimus realized that the man was wearing one of those white lab coat. A doctor, his mind supplied.

"I'm confused " Optimus honestly answered. He eared Ratchet mumbling something on the comm link, but the human doctor started to explain, and so Optimus tuned his old friend out.

"Someone find you just outside the city, unconscious, and with no documents on you. Now, that was two weeks ago. You were diagnosed with a severe concussion and minor bruises. Can you tell me your name, please?"

"Optimus Prime" he answered, and when the doctor lifted one eyebrow in surprise, he wondered if it could have been better if he would have lied about his name.

The doctor recovered quickly anyway "nice to meet you, Mr Prime. I'm Doc Foster, and I'm your neurologist here at the Jasper's All Saint Hospital"

"We are in Jasper, Nevada?" Optimus inquired eagerly, and through the comm link he could hear Jack commenting that there was where his mum works. Relief flowed the Prime, as Ratchet informed him that nurse June had been contacted and that she was going to find him and take him to the HQ.

"Yes indeed, Mr Prime, this is very good.." The doctor asked him more questions about the day, and the president of the United States and so forth and so on...

Optimus indulged him, his mind already projected to the end of this adventure.

But then, after the doctor left, Ratchet commed to say than June have been in the reception, and no John Doe were registered at the Jasper' All Saint.

"Prime, you have to leave that place, we don't know what's going on, but go out, find a reference point and I'll come to pick you up" Arcee added urgently.

And Optimus stood on uncertain legs, and slowly and painfully dressed with the clothes he found in the cupboard and then he made his way outside this room. His mind was spinning, maybe that was a MECH plan, or a mind trap from the decepticon or...

He arrived to the ground floor, and he started to cross the ER to the exit, when he bumped into a familiar looking woman. He was used to her to be way way smaller than him, but if even he had any doubt, the name tag confirmed her identity.

"Nurse June" he said relieved "it's me, Optimus" he whispered.

"I'm sorry" she answered politely, "do I know you?"

"Optimus, Optimus Prime..."

Her faces showed no recognition at all, and through the comm link the team informed him that Jack was speaking with his mum over the phone in that exact moment.

Mind trick, or maybe alternative universe Optimus thought, and started to apologize and tried to leave.

Too late, though, as the Doc Foster had alerted the security that was already converging discretely on the Autobot.

* * *

Took him another week to convince the doctor to dismiss him.


	2. Chapter 2

"You should go to our school" Raf said. Ratchet looked at him from his position in front of the main monitor in the Autobot HQ, the monitor showing Optimus sight.

He wasn't alone in there: on the perch with him there were Jack, Miko, agent Fowler and even Nurse Darby. On the ground, standing shoulder to shoulder with the docbot, there were Arcee and Smokescreen. None of them, human or cybertronian as well, was able to stay away from the screen, those day, as it was the only connection with the Autobot leader, Optimus Prime.

Ratchet thanked Primus again that Optimus has been in contact with him thought this system before the accident happened, otherwise he would have been lost to them like Bumblebee or Bulkhead.

"Rafael, we already assess that this is another reality" Optimus answered unconvinced though the comm link.

"Yes, but the Bumblebee and Bulkhead could have tried to contact the other us…" the young human answered with that self-confidence and protectiveness that he always shown when his guardian safety was involved.

"Mmm, you are right, that seem as a reasonable thing to do" Optimus agreed. It was his first day out of the hospital, and he wasn't sure of what to do anyway.

They observed though Optimus optics as he approach the school.

He was a block away from the school, when the bell rang and a herd of students swarmed out. They all spotted Jake, and Optimus paced his steps to catch up with him, when an arm slide around Prime's arm. "It's not safe that way, Sir" a soft, young voice stated, and the voice owner started to pull the Autobot leader in a close-by alley.

Ratchet was speechless, and from the surprised exclamation coming from Optimus, he deduced he wasn't the only one who recognized that voice, a voice they had believed they would never hear again.

Said voice was mumbling now "oh frag, of course they spot us, someone managed to be even more conspicuous as human than as a red and blue Peterbill…"

Ratchet heard the children surprised exclamation, echoed by Smokescreen, but he was too in awe to say anything, and to do anything else that stare at the images on the screen.

Through the comm he head Optimus automatic answer: "Language, young one", and followed Optimus sight as the leader looked down to himself. Maybe the other was right, Optimus was wearing the clothes he had before the admission to the hospital: a bright red leather jacket on top of a grey t-shirt, electric blue jeans and black leather boots.

The newcomer, on the other hand, he was just wearing a black parka on top of yellow skinny jeans tucked inside black combat boots. From under the black hood, bright blond locks surfaced, long enough to partially hide piercing blue eyes. As the other leaded Optimus between the alleys, Ratchet lazily wondered if the black and white scarf was a fashion choice or if it was covering the brutal scar on the neck.

Bumblebee, because there were no doubt in Ratchet mind that that was their young scout, pushed the older one in an hidden place in the dirty alley, and press himself against Prime body.

"Wha..." Optimus protest were silenced by Bumblebee hand on his mouth.

Just in time, as a man appeared in the alley and cursed "I lost them!" He listened to somethings, maybe an earpiece, then added "yes, the kid was there, he intercepted the target and took him between the alleys ... I lost them. That damn kid! I'd never seen anyone disappear like that... "

Ratchet stared to the screen at the younger Autobot: Bumblebee eyes were trained on the voice direction, and even from the screen the docbot could perceive the tension in the young body leaning against Optimus' builder one, his heartbeat strong against the older one ribcage and his breath hot on his superior collarbone.

"He looks so young..." Arcee whisper softly.

"He IS so young" Ratchet scolded her.

"Who is he? He looks our age!" Miko asked again.

"That's definitely Bumblebee" Arcee answered with unusual softness. "And Ratchet is right, he is very young..."

"We have rules against baby soldiers" agent Fowler growled, but Arcee scolded back: "we too, or we use to have them, before everything went to the pit..."

"Hush everyone, that man is getting closer!" Raf cried, his knuckles white for the force he was holding into the fence of the perch.

The man was indeed walking closer to the two hid Autobots were holding their breath. "Do you believe in what they say? That he is a ghost?" The man kept talking in the earpiece as he passed in front of their refuge and then walk away without spot them.

Bumblebee waited for couple of minutes more, then he let out a deep breath and dropped his head on Optimus shoulder. Well, drop maybe is a big word as the young one height barely let him reach any higher.

Sensing that the danger moment was ended, Optimus lifted his arms to gently hug the younger. Ratchet was known to be grouchy, but in the privacy of his mind he could confess that he wished to be there to hug the youngling as well.

"It's nice to see you, my scout" Optimus said softly "and even more hear your voice again"

They watched as the young one tensed again to Optimus' comment, then took a deep breath and regained control over himself.

He stand in front of his superior and smile, "nice to see you here, sir. Can we try to go home now?"


	3. Chapter 3

Optimus was here.

Optimus was here!

Bumblebee knew it was childish, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that with Optimus there nothing bad could happen anymore.

The scout was used to be on his own, to take care of himself, he was an Autobot scout, THE team Prime's Autobot scout, but he was also a youngling, and Prime used to be one of his caretaker, so is easy to see why his pavlovian reaction was to relax in Prime embrace.

His training kicked in in few seconds: they were still on the street, he had to take Prime to the safe house, then they could relax and work a plane to save Bulkhead, find Smokescreen, contact Ratchet and go home.

For the first time in the twenty-one days he spent in this body, he felt like that todo-list was achievable.

He took Optimus by the arm and started to lead him through the alleys and narrow streets to his house.

"Are you ok, my scout?" Prime voice was the same, both in accents and kindness, as in the original body, and Bee felt his eyes filled with tears of pure relief to the familiarity of the question. He'd willing them away for so long that doing it again shouldn't have been a big deal. But apparently his control over this body needed more practice, because when he opened his mouth to answer, all it came out was a sob.

And in a moment they weren't walking anymore, and Optimus was facing him, on a knee to better see Bee's face.

The former Peterbill lifted on hand to Bumblebee's cheek.

"Little one?" He asked softly "what's wrong?".

"Not here... please sir, not here" the young scout managed to say with an hoarse voice, rapidly fluttering his eyelashes to chase away the tears.

Optimus hand from his cheek rose to ruffle the blond hair. "Ok, we will speak later" the leader said with a kind smile.

The scout then held his breath for a moment, and release it slowly to centered himself. He restarted walking, "it's just a couple of block ahead, few minutes and we'll be there" he sort of justified himself.

Few minutes more to decide how much to tell to his Prime .

Should he tell him about sleeping under the bridges or in the sewers?

Or about fishing in the trash bins for something edible because this body couldn't work without food?

Or was it relevant that three days after waking up in this body in the middle of nowhere, when he finally manage to meet Raf only to discover that the child didn't have any recall of him, his appearance was so bad that Raf took him in the school toilets and helped cleaning him up a bit?

He also had to steel. He felt regretful for it but it looked like that woman had a lot of clothes and blankets hang out to dry, and he was so cold, and he took one of the blanket. And then he stole some leftovers on a table, they weren't meant for him, but he took them anyway. On a rational level he recognized that those were small things, but he also wondered if that was just his mind trying to justify his bad behavior.

He returned the blanket two days later, but he couldn't do anything for the food, only live with his conscience. Should he tell that to his leader? Was it relevant for his report?

And he didn't want to tell Prime about that man who offer him a place to sleep, nor what happened next.

But for sure he have to tell him about Silas, and the groundbridge and how he wasn't able to save Bulkhead.

"Where are we going, exactly?" Prime question brought Bee back from his deep thoughts.

They were in a blind alley, and Bee, with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, left Optimus arm and started climbing the garbage bin. "I'm sorry, sir, the fire escape ladder is stuck so we have to climb on here" the young scout explained as he reached for the ladder.

He glanced to the leader and the awe and bare pride on his leader face make Bumblebee blush. "It's not too difficult... You'll probably don't need to do this" He added self consciously as he stand on the hinge of the bid lid on his left tip toe, and extend his right arm up to the ladder, the other leg and arm laterally extended to increase his balance

Three fly of stairs later, they entered from the window in the small apartment. Bee inspected it, to verify that everything was how he left it, then he turned to Prime with a shy smile "welcome in my humble abode, sir"


	4. Chapter 4

_Note: I'm sorry, I couldn't get the strikethrough text, so please, just pretend that the underlined words are instead_ _strikethrough. If anyone knows how to force the format on this website, please let me know in the comment. (I'd also love to ear your opinion on this story, but this is another matter ;D )_

* * *

Optimus climbed the garbage bin with way less grace than his little scout. Seeing him on the garbage bin had left Optimus and all the team back in the HQ speechless. Miko had commented somethings about circus monkeys and Arcee had answered something about Special Ops training. That training was probably the reason Bumblebee flight through three stairs ramps with no noises, where Optimus boots clanged for three people.

That training was probably also the reason the scout inspect the house before letting Optimus in.

"Welcome in my humble abode" Bumblebee said with the shyest expression. From the background he heard Miko and nurse June awes to how cute the kid was, but Optimus eyes flight to the board on the wall of the room. The room itself was a living room open on a small kitchen, all furnished in a neat way, and the board on the wall looked completely out of place there. On the board were two maps, one of Jasper, the other of the desert, both crowded with notes and pictures pinned on them.

And then there was the list:

\- find Optimus

\- find SAVE Bulkhead

\- find Smokescreen

\- contact Ratchet

\- go back home (ground bridge?)

As the autobot leader approached, he realised that the pictures showed militaries, and one over the others was Silas.

The notes on the maps seemed to show that MECH HQ was in Jasper, but he couldn't understand what was about the second map.

"That's were we couldn't find the relic" Bee helped him. The boy was standing close to the sofa on the other side of the room, apparently giving space to Optimus to explore. "I went on site, but I couldn't find it on this side as well. But I discover something interesting in there" Bee explained approaching. He was now all business like, no trace of shyness on him.

"Silas was there. Seems like he got a scanner for the relics, but he couldn't find anything as well, and it looked like it wasn't their first attempt... Then I have a good news and a bad one."

He stopped to deeply breath, "he got a ground bridge, if we manage to contact Ratchet I believe we could manage to use it to go home someway..."

"What's the bad news?" Optimus asked warily.

"They capture Bulkhead, I wasn't fast enough to save him as I did with you today" then the boy started fidgeting with his hands "I have a plan to free him, but... You know that kind of plan that you have to hope that if you injury yourself it'll be lethal, otherwise Ratchet will reassemble you as a fridge because you are too suicidal to be walking around? That's the kind of plan I have... Maybe with you here it could become less suicidal, but just slightly. It's a good thing that we're still far from contacting the Hatcher, right?" Bumblebee ended it with a small laugh, echoed by Smokescreen's one and Arcee snicker.

Optimus felt his own mouth distended in a smile "I have a bad news too, Ratchet is listening to us, with the others"

"Oh" was the small answer, "make you wonder if it's not better stay in here, right?" Bee said playfully.

Optimus was going to let himself believe that everything was fine with the little scout, but Arcee commed, suddenly growling seriously "he's doing that again! It's like after Tiger Pax, Bee is hiding himself behind the careless mask, Optimus, don't let him doing that" Optimus sighed at that, but didn't acknowledge her verbally.

"Let's work on that list of yours, would we?" The leader asked with his softest intonation. He knew Bee, and he knew that Bee would have react emotionally to that tone. The little one eyes indeed let out the same fragility he had shown on the street, but this time he was faster to regain control over it. Optimus ruffle the blond lock again, then focused on the list:

\- find Optimus

\- find SAVE Bulkhead

\- find Smokescreen

\- contact Ratchet

\- go back home (ground bridge?)

To the inquisitive look he answered "Smokescreen made at home that day". He was rewarded by the first real smile of the day.

Then his expression changed in somethings focused. He darted to a pile of paper and started digging in till he found what he was looking for. "You are in contact with Ratchet, you said?" Bee asked eagerly. When Optimus nodded, he shoved the paper on the leader's nose "can he confirm that those were the coordinates he sent us to, and that this time stamp is after Smokescreen reentry but before Bulkhead expected one?"

"Ratchet?" Prime asked, when the docbot was already saying "give me a second" he heard Rafael and Ratchet talk in the background, then the confirmation came through clear.

"They confirm" Optimus said for Bee benefit.

"Those are from MECH... I hacked their database (you have no idea how much I missed Raf doing that) and those are the activation of THEIR ground bridge!"

Through the comm seemed like Rafael and Ratchet were on the same page, if their excited exclamation were any clue.

"If we open both the ground bridges from our and your side on the same location, the hidden relic will probably allow your transfer back!" Ratchet explained.

Bee just smiled knowingly.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi everyone, that was a very hard chapter to write._  
 _It does contain a recall of a sexual assault, but nothing graphic. I apologise if this disturbs you. i would like also to clarify that I don't condone any non consensual act._

Chapter Text

* * *

"I'm the only one bothered by the way Bumblebee said that the tenant of the flat doesn't need it?" Agent Fowler asked from the perch.

The watch through the screen Optimus snooping around in the flat as Bee took a shower.  
He wandered in the kitchen and opened the fridge and the cupboards "You could make dinner, if you find something in there" June suggested, ignoring the FBI agent.

"Mm..." Was the quiet answer of the leader, assessing the situation.  
" maybe in the big chest freezer you'll find somethings " Raf added.

Ratchet observed them, but his processor was still on Fowler question. Yes, somethings was definitely off in the way the youngling dismiss the question Optimus had posed before going for his shower, the way those big blue eyes avoided the leader.

As Prime started removing the boxes and the books from the top of the chest freezer, Ratchet re-examined, in his mind, the comportment of the kid since Optimus met him today.

He was deciding if voice his concerns with the others, when Prime surprised exclamation, "Oh good Primus!", dragged his attention back on the screen.

And indeed he could understand his leader reaction, as well all the surprised remarks and rapid breath intakes of the population of the HQ.

Also Bumblebee ran on the scene in response. And probably that one was the most surprising reaction.  
The youngling, indeed, instead of being surprised of the dead boy of an unidentified human male in his late forty, appeared scared. He rushed to close the lid, and stacked hastily the books and boxes back in places. He added even more books and then, back-pedalling and dragging Optimus by the wrist, he put as much distance he could between them and the chest freezer.

For the whole time, the boy's breathe was fast and wheezing. "his hyperventilating!" Ratchet and June said as one.

When Prime kneeled in front of the boy, the teary blue eyes filled the screen. "Hush, little one, you are safe"  
Took a while to coax the blonde to breath normally, and when he finally did it, he looked exhausted. "I'm sorry" he said with the smallest of the voices.  
"No harm done, little one" Optimus replied shooting.

"No, I meant..." Bee started unsure "I'm sorry I killed him, and that I occupied his house and used his internet, and ate hisfood and sleepon h-h-hi-hiscoachand..." His words merged together as the boy re-started hyperventilating.

"Hush, hush my scout... Everything is fine..." Optimus said as his hands cupped the younger one cheeks and started rubbing away the tears. Then, when the boy seemed to have regain some control, he manoeuvred Bee on the sofa, and sitting close to him, half hugging him, he asked softly: "what happened? How did you kill him?"

"Are... Are the others still listening to us?" Bee started slowly  
"Can you... Can you send the children away" the boy added shyly when his older man nodded.  
"Ratchet?" The leader asked out loud  
"On it Optimus" Arcee answered first, before commanding Smokescreen to take the children away. She had to tacit four querying and complying voices, but when June added her command, a subdued Smokey drives three subdued children home.

"Ok, go on little one"

"... I... The first week after ... After falling out of the ground bridge... That was the scariest week of my life. I had no idea were I was and were all of you were and... And I had to sleep on the dirty and under the bridges and in the sewers... At the end I finally arrived to Jasper high school... And then Raf wasn't aware of who I was and ... and... And I have no food and no place were to go... No hope thought... And.. And this man, he offer me a shelter for a night... Raf's mum always insist that he doesn't have to ever think of going with a stranger somewhere but.. I guess I was desperate... And... I... He... He drugged me, you know? I guess with the orange juice... I.. I was fine a moment, and I woke up the moment later, on his bed... And ... And I was, you know? without my clothes... And, and he touched me, like.. There where my spike used to be... Where my valve used to be... He put his hand in there... And ... And my hands were bided to the bed header... With a rope, you know?... But... but my legs were free... So, I... I mean, he was touching me, and I didn't want, and I begged him to stop but... But he didn't, and my legs were free, so... So I ... I kicked him, hard, on his rib cage... And then he was holding his chest and he collapsed on me... And I couldn't shake him off, and... And I couldn't breath, and I begged him to move away...but he... He just.. he became colder and colder and ... And... Took me all night and all the next day to free my first hand... I had to scratch myself with the rope enough to have the blood coating my hand, you know? so that I could slide out with less friction... You see, it's not healed yet... I just want to run away, but I was even more terrified of leaving this four walls. I hid him in there, and I started to used this place... You know? he doesn't need it anymore, and I cannot... I'm sorry... I cannot sleep outside again, I... He... He is dead and I'm safe now, you know? I... Him... And... And you are here now... I'm sorry I killed him... I know we have rules about killing human beings... I..." Whatever he was going to say next was muffled by Optimus shirt when the older man hugged the little boy, whispering reassurances and rubbing shooting circles on his back with one hand, as with the others he cupped the boy neck and leaded his head in the crock of his own neck.

A loud bang redirected Ratchet attention form the screen to the wall of the HQ were Arcee first left a big indent. As he looked, she kicked the same spot twice, releasing more debris and enlarging the hole in the mountain wall.

A deep breath from the perch turned his main focus on the humans. Agent Fowler's hands were wrapped around the handrail so thighs that the metal started to bend and June was covering her face with her hands. When she lowered her extremities, though, she looked stoic and collected. She was also the first to speak "Optimus, be aware he could be not too fond of physical interaction, right now. Also, can you take a close look to that nasty scab on his wrist? I want to make sure is healing properly"

Optimus nodded and started to pull out of the hug, only to have the boy following him, grabbing at the man's shirt like he was trying to melt in Optimus chest. "Hush little one, I'm not going anywhere." He promised softly.

He held the small frame all night, silently watching his little broken youngling.


End file.
